Thursday, June 21, 2012

Ray McGovern on Julian Assange

Robert Knight interviews Ray McGovern on Five O'Clock Shadow on WBAI 99.5FM.

[AUDIO]

Audio of  the interview can be heard at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/60926

RK: We turn now to the case of Julian Assange. In a followup to our previous conversation with attorney Michael Ratner  and continue to keep our eyes on the ecuadorian Embassy in London where Julian Assange  remains. At this date he is seeking political asylum  and fighting extradition to Sweden, or possibly the US. 

Ray McGovern has been long been working with the Assange team and the wikileaks team and manyy other organizations, including his former officership in the CIA where he was an analytic officer. He has most recently published on Constortium News the overnight article titled: Julian Assange's Artful Dodge, which begins saying: "Barring a CIA drone strike on the Ecuadorian embassy in London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s sudden appeal for asylum there may spare him a prison stay in Sweden or possibly the United States. Assange’s freedom now depends largely on Ecuadorian President Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado, a new breed of independent-minded leader like Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez."

Welcome to Five O'Clock Shadow, Ray.

Ray: Thank you Robert, glad to be here.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Julian Assange seeks asylum in Ecuadorian Embassy

Robert Knight interviews Michael Ratner of The Center for Constitutional Rights on Five O'Clock Shadow WBAI 99.5FM

The interview can be heard at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/60912

RK:  People around the world woke up today to the surprise announcement that the Editor in Chief of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, who had been under house arrest in England, was now at the Ecuadorian Embassy to the United Kingdom, where he  is seeking asylum, because he fears for the conditions he will face if he is extradited to Sweden and then probably to the United States. To help clarify these breaking developmens, we're happy to be joined by Julian Assange's American lawyer Michael Ratner. 

Welcome back, Michael.

MR: Robert Knight, it's always good to be with you. You've been doing a great job as usual. I was as surprised as you were when I got a text from someone saying that Julian Assange has just gone to the Ecuadorian Embassy and is asking for political asylum, And so I've been trying figure out how to sort it out and of course I have a good understanding of it and I think you summarized it pretty well.
Broadly stated what was gonna happen to him was he had lost all his appeals against going to Sweden through the English courts.